Tag: Oklahoma Spring Game

On3 Sports ranks Texas in Top 10 of most intriguing spring games Saturday

The Texas spring game is perhaps the most interesting scrimmage of the weekend.

It’s game week. The Texas Longhorns football program will give an early look at their 2023 squad on Saturday afternoon. Continue reading “On3 Sports ranks Texas in Top 10 of most intriguing spring games Saturday”

Hugh Freeze, Bob Stoops want future spring games to be against opponents

“I’d love it. If not the spring game, give us one that we can meet up and have our own game.”

Spring games are around the corner and like many avid college football watchers we await with great anticipation. There are a few developments we’d love to see and the game should give us answers.

On the other hand, while fans will be rooting for Texas, they will in some ways be rooting against Texas. In this zero sum game, for the Longhorns’ offense to thrive the defense will have to struggle.

Auburn head coach Hugh Freeze floated a potential move from intrasquad to intersquad scrimmages where Tigers would showcase their team against an opponent. Former Oklahoma head coach Bob Stoops echoed that sentiment, sharing that facing other teams in the spring would be good for college football.

The move seems like a no-brainer for Texas and one that could stoke offseason enthusiasm and expand interest in the sport. Closer teams like Rice, UTSA, Texas State and Houston make sense for Texas. Even so, having a low stakes exhibition could provide Texas an opportunity for a home-and-home exhibition series with Oklahoma while maintaining the neutral field in-season matchup.

There’s an opportunity to get more insight into where teams stand for upcoming seasons. Texas decision makers should capitalize on the opportunity.

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Kyler Murray to be honored in Heisman Park at Oklahoma Sooners’ Spring Game

Athletic Director Joe Castiglione revealed to 94.7 The REF in Norman that Kyler Murray will get his Heisman statue unveiled at the 2023 Oklahoma Sooners Spring Game.

[autotag]Kyler Murray[/autotag] will be getting his statue added to Oklahoma’s Heisman Park this April at the OU Football Spring Game, Athletic director Joe Castiglione told The REF on Thursday.

Castiglione confirmed the news while on the “T-Row in the Morning Show” with the voice of the Sooners, Toby Rowland. Murray’s likeness being added to Heisman Park will, for now at least, complete the collection of OU’s Heisman Trophy winners outside of [autotag]Gaylord Family-Oklahoma Memorial[/autotag] Stadium.

Last year’s “Pack the Palace” campaign for the 2022 spring game, which involved the unveiling of Baker Mayfield’s statue, was a huge success. Giving Murray his statue a year later as Brent Venables tries to build momentum for his program is a no-brainer.

The 2022 spring game was a good get-right moment for both the football program and its fans. Both of which were still feeling the effect of Lincoln Riley’s departure for USC. That game was the first time a lot of OU fans became reacquainted with Venables since his return to Norman.

Mayfield was on the verge of being traded during his statue unveiling, and Kyler Murray will still be recovering from an ACL tear sustained last December while playing for the Arizona Cardinals.

A former two-sport star at Oklahoma, Murray attended last year’s spring game in an OU Baseball jersey. Murray will be immortalized alongside past Heisman winners Mayfield, [autotag]Sam Bradford[/autotag], [autotag]Jason White[/autotag], [autotag]Billy Sims[/autotag], [autotag]Steve Owens[/autotag], and [autotag]Billy Vessels[/autotag].

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After the Sooners’ spring game OU predicted to land speedy 2024 4-star WR Mario Craver

Fresh off their massive spring game success, the Oklahoma Sooners received a prediction for a speedy 2024 4-star WR out of Alabama.

It’s been said multiple times already but it bears repeating once more: Oklahoma’s spring game was a raging success. The on-field product gave a glimpse at what we to expect from the 2022 version of the Oklahoma Sooners.

In the midst of that, the Sooners hosted a plethora of recruits from all pockets of the country. Recruits across the next three recruiting cycles were in attendance as Sooners of the past littered the sidelines, adding to an already amazing atmosphere.

One of the visitors from this week may have liked Oklahoma quite a bit, so much so that the Sooners landed a Crystal Ball prediction from OUInsider’s Parker Thune.

2024 wide receiver Mario Craver out of Alabama.

While he isn’t the biggest receiver, Craver’s calling card is undoubtedly his speed. Thune’s prediction comes with a 7/10 confidence level, which is a pretty for a recruit that has only had his offer for less than two months.

This was Craver’s second visit to Oklahoma as he came in March for one of Oklahoma’s Junior day weekends. Craver is also the high school teammate of another player the Sooners have hosted for an unofficial visit, four-star 2024 DB Jaylen Mbakwe.

Mario Cravers’ Recruiting Profile

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Brent Venables, Dillon Gabriel steal the show in front of record-breaking crowd for Oklahoma’s Spring Game

In front of more than 75,000 fans, the Oklahoma Sooners put on a strong performance in the first Spring Game of the Brent Venables era.

After a mountain of hype, the Oklahoma Spring Game delivered on many fronts for the Oklahoma Sooners. The loyal fans of the Crimson & Cream packed out The Palace on the Prairie with just over 75,000 fans for the start of the Brent Venables era.

The game showcased what the new regime in Norman has been cooking up as they prepare the Sooners for the 2022 season. While there were many familiar faces from the past few years, the Sooners had new faces donning Oklahoma jerseys for the first time. The roster was split into two teams led by defensive ends coach [autotag]Miguel Chavis[/autotag] for the white squad while running backs coach [autotag]DeMarco Murray[/autotag] led the red team.

New quarterback [autotag]Dillon Gabriel[/autotag] did exactly what you want your veteran quarterback to do. He looked calm and poised under duress and stepped up and made some nice throws to a plethora of receivers. The tempo of the offense was indeed as fast as advertised and gave Sooners fans a glimpse of what the offense can look like under offensive coordinator Jeff Lebby.

Gabriel was 19 of 28 for 250 yards with a touchdown and an interception. He looked sharp in his first appearance for the Sooners.

The anticipation of seeing running back [autotag]Jovantae Barnes[/autotag] did not disappoint. Barnes carried the ball 17 times for 60 yards and two touchdowns. He looked explosive, physical and decisive.

Presumptive starter [autotag]Eric Gray[/autotag]’s biggest highlight came when he broke out for a huge run for the white team that is certain to have people salivating about his upcoming season. Gray carried the ball four times for 53 yards, including the 50-yard run.

[autotag]Marcus Major[/autotag] didn’t participate but [autotag]Tawee Walker[/autotag] ran the ball well in his absence. Walker has turned heads in practice and capped off an eye-opening spring with a solid performance in the spring game.

The offensive line play was solid, considering the likely starters were split between the two sides. They opened up some lanes for the backs and gave time for the quarterbacks to throw the ball.

The only notable player missing was [autotag]Andrew Raym[/autotag] who didn’t participate. [autotag]McKade Mettauer[/autotag], one of the transfer offensive linemen the Sooners landed looked pretty comfortable at guard as he made a key block that sprung Gray loose for his big gain.

[autotag]Marvin Mims[/autotag] and true freshman [autotag]Jayden Gibson[/autotag] scored touchdowns out wide for the receiver group. [autotag]Theo Wease[/autotag], who returned from an injury-filled 2021 also made a nice grab for a 48-yard gain that led to a touchdown early in the game. [autotag]Jalil Farooq[/autotag] saw his number called quite a few times and has a chance to be a major contributor on the heels of his electric performance to end the season in 2021. Farooq would finish with two receptions for 17 yards.

Jayden Gibson’s 95-yard touchdown helped him lead the way at receiver on the afternoon. He finished with 113 yards on three receptions and a touchdown. Marvin Mims picked up right where he left off the 2021 season with two receptions for 41 yards and a touchdown.

Defensively, guys like defensive end [autotag]Ethan Downs[/autotag] and defensive back Kendall Dennis stood out as both forced turnovers during the game. Downs would punch out a fumble and Dennis intercepted a pass in the second half of the game. There wasn’t too much to be made of the Sooners’ new defensive system as [autotag]Ted Roof[/autotag] kept things largely vanilla for good reason.

However, guys like [autotag]Jeffery Johnson[/autotag] and Jordan Kelley made plays from the defensive interior while [autotag]DaShaun White[/autotag] roamed at the second level making their impact felt. On the back end, Woodi Washington, Joshua Eaton made some plays on the ball. Eaton recovered the Downs forced fumble and broke up a possible touchdown in the end zone too. In the end, the red team led by DeMarco Murray got the win as they won 21-17.

Though they weren’t taking quarterbacks to the ground, Ethan Downs and [autotag]Marcus Stripling[/autotag] were credited with two sacks apiece and [autotag]Jalen Redmond[/autotag] added a sack for the red team. Johnson, Kelley, White, Jonah La’ulu, and [autotag]Reggie Grimes[/autotag] combined for five sacks for the white team.

While the football was the main focus, it was incredible to see the alumni turnout as the Sooners did everything in their power to get every Sooner to Norman that they could. Big names like [autotag]Adrian Peterson[/autotag], [autotag]Kyler Murray[/autotag], [autotag]Mark Clayton[/autotag], and [autotag]Jamelle Holieway[/autotag] were all in the building. [autotag]Baker Mayfield[/autotag]’s Heisman statue ceremony took place at halftime with the unveiling in Heisman Park.

The pageantry, emotion and the excitement of the day delivered in spades and with no significant injuries to report, the first spring game of the [autotag]Brent Venables[/autotag] era can be considered a huge success.

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Sooners of the past descending on Norman for Oklahoma’s 2022 Spring Game

Oklahoma’s Spring Game will welcome in the Brent Venables era, but also welcome back a number of past Oklahoma Sooners’ greats.

The 2022 Oklahoma Spring game will represent the first time fans will get an opportunity to see [autotag]Brent Venables[/autotag]’ Sooners take the field. And as the current roster puts in the final touches on spring ball before breaking till fall camp, Oklahoma will also welcome in a bevy of recruits they hope to convince to be future Sooners.

Helping the football program sell the University of Oklahoma will be Sooners greats of the past. In a strong social media campaign, dozens of former players let it be known on Twitter that they’ll be in Norman for the Oklahoma Sooners Spring Game.

It’s a who’s who of the past, including the man who will be immortalized in Heisman Park on Saturday, [autotag]Baker Mayfield[/autotag].

Mayfield was in Norman on Friday, spending time with the team and at the facility before the unveiling of his Heisman statue during tomorrow’s festivities.

From [autotag]Jason White[/autotag] to Baker Mayfield and [autotag]Dusty Dvoracek[/autotag] to [autotag]Neville Gallimore[/autotag], here are some of the Oklahoma greats that will be in attendance as Brent Venables’ team takes the field in front of Sooner Nation for the first time.

5 Sooners to watch on defense in the Oklahoma spring game

A look at five defensive players to watch as the Oklahoma Sooners gear up for their Spring game.

There’s something to be said about how exciting this particular spring game will be for Oklahoma Sooners’ fans far and wide. A new head coach ushers in a new era with a new defensive staff and a fresh, proven mind at offensive coordinator. A new vision will be on display while the Sooners have an abundance of position battles that need to be sorted out.

For now, we’ll focus on the defensive side of things where there’s been significantly more turnover and also the heaviest influx of new faces that will debut in Crimson and Cream for the first time this weekend.

Brent Venables’ wizardry as a defensive coordinator is widely known. It’s no stretch to say he’s probably been year in and year out the best defensive coordinator in college football for the last decade. He returns to the school that really catapulted his career in Oklahoma as the head coach but you can rest assured he brought his elite defensive coaching with him. He retooled the defensive staff entirely and led the charge into the transfer portal as the Sooners went shopping for defensive bodies to fit Venables’ scheme for the immediate future and the years to come.

With that said, here are five players to watch for as we see a glimpse at what Brent Venables and defensive coordinator Ted Roof have in store for Big 12 offenses this fall.

Need for speed: How Oklahoma’s renewed focused on tempo will be great for the Sooners

Under Jeff Lebby, the Oklahoma Sooners are bringing back uptempo offense.

Speed kills. It’s an old adage in sports. Especially in the world of football.  The impact that speed can have on a game is almost unquantifiable at times. For the Oklahoma Sooners, it’s not just about the players being fast themselves, it’s about operating their offense fast and wearing down opponents.

Oklahoma offensive coordinator [autotag]Jeff Lebby[/autotag] has made a name for himself over the last several years thanks productivity and explosive nature of his offenses. The uptempo offense Lebby ran last season in Oxford for the Ole Miss Rebels finished No. 6 in the nation, averaging 492.5 yards per game in 2021. He experienced similar results in Orlando while at UCF, where now Sooners starting quarterback [autotag]Dillon Gabriel[/autotag] first started in college.

Lebby’s offenses have a few foundational aspects to them and one of them is simply the rate at which they operate play-to-play. The week six matchup between Lebby’s Rebels and [autotag]Josh Heupel[/autotag]’s Tennessee Volunteers featured the two fastest teams in the Power Five in 2021. They were the top two teams in the country in plays per minute with the Rebels averaging 2.89 plays per minute in 2021.

On the season, they’d average 78.2 plays per game, No. 2 in the nation. That volume of plays at that type of breakneck pace will wear down any defense at any level. It’s just not possible for teams to perform well defensively if they don’t have the depth and the execution required to stop the offense. And those two areas are exactly what playing uptempo is trying to prey upon.

“The constant is the tempo,” Lebby said in his recent media appearance. “We’re going to play incredibly fast. We’re going to push the tempo. We’re going to dictate how the game is played. That’s where it starts for us.”

That’s why the Sooners will up the ante so to speak from Lincoln Riley’s more methodical, yet still highly productive offenses. It’s all about being the one in control and being proactive against defenses instead of calling games in reaction mode.

While the tempo will remain a focal point, other aspects of his offense will continue to evolve from the previous stops.

And for the Sooners, that may be okay. At times, former head coach and play-caller [autotag]Lincoln Riley[/autotag] struggled with getting the ball to his best players Whether that was getting [autotag]Marvin Mims[/autotag] more touches or running the ball more with Kennedy Brooks. Far too many times it seemed he overcomplicated things by not letting his best players touch the ball more.

One reason Lebby’s offenses have thrived is that they focus on getting their best offensive players the ball as much as they can. Couple that with the tempo at which he wants to play at, it isn’t a stretch to think the Oklahoma offense can be better than it was the last two seasons under Lincoln Riley.

Lebby expects the Sooners to be ready physically and mentally for the grind of the up-tempo life by day 15 of spring ball. A part of that will also be on the shoulders of [autotag]Jerry Schmidt[/autotag], who returned to Oklahoma after spending the last four years at Texas A&M as their director of Strength and Conditioning. Schmidt physically and mentally prepared the up-tempo Sooners of the Kevin Wilson and [autotag]Sam Bradford[/autotag] and will be tasked with doing it again under Jeff Lebby.

Sooners fans will get their first look at the new-look offense during the Oklahoma spring game on April 23rd.

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Oklahoma football says spring game is not canceled, won’t take place on April 18

A little confusion has been straightened out. Oklahoma’s spring game has not been canceled, but in a waiting period during pandemic.

A little confusion has been straightened out.

Oklahoma athletic director Joe Castiglione went on an Oklahoma City radio station Wednesday afternoon for a segment with columnist Berry Tramel (The Oklahoman). At the tail end of the interview, Tramel asked Castiglione about the upcoming spring game in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic.

The Oklahoma spring game is scheduled for April 18 at 5 p.m. CT. At least it was.

“Basically we’re saying the reality—there’s just not anyway we are going to have it,” Castiglione said. “It’s hard to even say when and if we’ll be able to return to any type of practice in the next 30 to 45 days.”

Castiglione backed off his strong, impromptu statement on the game in a later released statement from Oklahoma football. The spring game has not been fully canceled, but in a waiting period.

“We’ve been receiving a lot of questions about whether the spring game will be held on April 18, or even at all,” he said in a press release. “The fact of the matter is it would be virtually impossible to hold the game on the originally scheduled date since we’re not sure when or if we’ll be able to return to practice. So in talking with Coach (Lincoln) Riley, we feel at the very least it’s appropriate to announce that the game and associated activities will not occur on April 18.

“Given all of the unknowns we’re facing, it’s impossible to determine right now when or if the game will be rescheduled. We will continue to communicate updates as information becomes available.”

This is still an expected blow to Lincoln Riley, who has made the spring game weekend a priority recruiting even for upcoming recruiting classes. Baker Mayfield was set to have his Heisman Trophy statue unveiled in the stadium during the game.

The Big 12 Conference has yet to cancel spring football practices and games for its 10 member league. The ACC and SEC have already canceled spring practices and games entirely for their respective conferences.

According to multiple reports after Castiglione’s radio segment, the expectation is that Oklahoma’s spring game will not take place.

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Oklahoma athletic director Joe Castiglione says Oklahoma spring game is canceled

The coronavirus impact has essentially ended the 2019-20 calendar sports year for Oklahoma. OU’s spring game has been canceled.

The coronavirus impact has essentially ended the 2019-20 calendar sports year for Oklahoma.

After the Big 12 canceled the spring sports season due to the pandemic, football spring games remained up in the air. According to Brian Davis of the Austin American-Statesman, Big 12 conference athletic directors were scheduled to talk about the cancelation of spring football at 3 p.m. Wednesday.

Nothing had been announced yet from the conference, but Oklahoma athletic director Joe Castiglione was on air with Berry Tramel of the Oklahoman on 98.1 the Sports Animal in Oklahoma City when he decided to pull the plug.

Castiglione broke it unexpectedly during the segment while talking to Tramel.

“We’ll probably … I guess I’m announcing it right now,” he said. “Basically we’re saying the reality. There’s just not anyway we are going to have it. It’s hard to even say when and if we’ll be able to return to any type of practice in the next 30 to 45 days.”

The Sooners spring game was scheduled for April 18 at 5 p.m. CT. Oklahoma was set to unveil its Baker Mayfield’s Heisman Trophy statue inside the stadium during the game. The weekend of the spring game is also one of Lincoln Riley’s biggest recruiting opportunities with everything that comes with the spring game weekend.

Oklahoma’s athletic director went into his thinking behind it.

“I can just tell ya that while we have come out and announced the spring game, the date being April 18, being canceled, I don’t see any way that’s going to happen. I really don’t,” Castiglione said. “We’re sitting here looking at it from two different ways—one, obviously people are canceling all kinds of events for the next thirty or more days. So there’s one reason. The other reason is related to practice. I can’t sit here and tell you any team that is going to get back and have a normal practice. They just can’t do that. So to sit here and think that we’re going to have a spring game and not be able to even say when we’re going to return to practice is silly.

As SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey pointed out, this may not mean the end to football practice, although the likelihood of that happening also doesn’t seem too realistic.

The Big 12 conference has yet to announce a league-wide cancelation of spring football or spring games yet.

Matt Ravis of 98.1 The Sports Animal contributed to this report.

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